Books

Silos and turf warsWhile we agree with author Patrick Lencioni that internecine conflict - one department or business unit against another - can cripple a company, we always thought that the solution was to establish dominance by having a knife fight out by the loading dock. Apparently, it isn't: The best way to eradicate bitterly antagonistic silos in a firm, according to Lencioni's business fable, Silos, Politics and Turf Wars, is to give all employees an overriding "thematic goal" to unite them, and break down some of the barriers that different units throw up.

This goal resembles the "firm vision" that many professional services firms aim to create, and Lencioni offers some specific, useful strategies for making it a reality. We just wish that we had read this before killing all those people.

Price: $22.95.

Jossey-Bass/Wiley

www.josseybass.com

(800) 225-5945

Pratt on valuation

When it comes to valuations, renowned expert Shannon Pratt wrote the book - several of them, in fact, though we're only going to consider one here. That's The Market Approach to Valuing Businesses, now in its second edition.

The book is an invaluable reference for this method of valuation, which is favored by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Tax Court for its objectivity. Pratt offers proven guidelines and resources for implementing this approach, and also has case studies, analysis of the latest developments in the field, common errors in application, a critique of U.S. acquisitions over the last 25 years, and advice on court reactions and how to avoid being blindsided by a litigation opponent.

Price: $99.

John Wiley & Sons

www.wiley.com

(800) 762-2974

Trust me

If CPAs are the most-trusted business advisors, who are the least-trusted business advisors? Salespeople, naturally - their long-established position of dishonor in the trust hierarchy is practically a cultural archetype. And yet it doesn't have to be that way, according to Charles Green's Trust-Based Selling. While his title might sound oxymoronic, consultant Green argues that trust can and should be established early on in a sales relationship, and shows how to develop a long-term perspective, as well as habits of honesty and transparency that can help you sell much more, precisely by focusing less on selling. At the very least, a salesperson attempting to be trustworthy has novelty value.

Price: $27.95.

McGraw-Hill

www.books.mcgraw-hill.com

Taxing small business

As always, legal publisher Nolo is trying to put you out of business by providing detailed, high-quality advice. This time, it's tax advice for small businesses. The ninth edition of Nolo's Tax Savvy for Small Business shows business owners how to make the most of all the rules aimed at encouraging small business, while Deduct It! Lower Your Small Business Taxes delves deeply into the complex thicket of available deductions, with real-life examples on deducting everything from start-up expenses to car and travel expenses and the costs of benefits. Finally, Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide focuses narrowly on deductions for just that sector, with everything a building owner could hope to know on the subject. Your best bet? Co-opt them by introducing your clients to them, as a supplement to your own services.

Price: Tax Savvy - $36.99; Deduct It! - $34.99; Landlord's - $34.99.

Nolo

www.nolo.com

What's in a nutshell?

Shakespeare thought you could get all of infinite space in a nutshell; the author of the present volume has wisely restricted herself to just accounting - which is a big enough subject, to be sure. Accounting in a Nutshell focuses on the principles and use of accounting information, rather than the technical details, and is meant as a reference for middle and junior management who need a basic grounding in the subject.

Price: $39.95.

CIMA Publishing/Elsevier

www.elsevier.com

(800) 545-2522

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